Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Best Seller Read-Alikes for the Week of November 4th

Can’t wait to get your hands on the latest best-seller, but the
hold list is too long? To tide you over, every week we’ll offer similar
titles and authors to the week’s fiction and nonfiction best sellers.

Fiction

At #1 this week in fiction is John Grisham's The Racketeer. Grisham's latest legal thriller centers around the murder of a federal judge and his attractive assistant. When the investigation stalls, imprisoned lawyer Malcolm Bannister (who is serving a 10 year sentence for money laundering) tells the feds that he knows both the killer and the motive, but will only divulge the information in exchange for his freedom. In class Grisham style, the legal twists are numerous and effective. A fast-paced read for fans of Grisham and the genre.

Books and authors similar to Grisham include:

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly - Washed-up former hero cop Harry Bosch works to prove that the apparent overdose of a fellow Vietnam vet was actually a murder. Connelly is a crime reporter in Los Angeles and brings a strong authenticity to this procedural series. His writing is gritty and atmospheric with occasional forays into the gruesomely violent.

Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein - Fairstein’s series of fast-paced legal thrillers featuring Assistant D.A. Alexandra Cooper are gritty and suspenseful. Fairstein takes inspiration from real crimes, and often has Alex juggle multiple cases. The first book is Final Jeopardy, when a woman on her way to Alex’s beach house is murdered, Alex’s life as Chief of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit becomes even more complex.

Dead Irish by John T. Lescroart - When the boss of ex-cop and current barkeep Dimas Hardy begins an
investigation into the alleged suicide of his brother-in-law, also a
friend of Hardy, Hardy steps in to help the troubled bar owner and
becomes privy to lives of the victim's family in his attempt to find the
killer. Dead Irish is the first in an ongoing series of Lescroart's popular legal thrillers that echo Grishman's swift pacing and legal twists.

Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
by Vincent Bugliosi (973.922092 BUG) - Best known as the prosecutor of
the Manson murders, Bugliosi presents a thorough analysis of the
assassination of JFK and its surrounding conspiracy theories draws on
forensic evidence, key witness testimonies, and other sources to explain
what really happened and why conspiracy theories have become so
popularized.

Jack Kennedy: An Elusive Heroby
Christopher Matthews (Biog. Kennedy) - Based on interviews with some of
his closest associates, Matthew creates a portrait of
the thirty-fifth president, discussing his privileged childhood,
military
service, struggles with a life-threatening disease, and career in
politics. More thoughtful that shocking, this biography delves deeper
into the personal life of JFK.

If
you'd like more recommendations, stop by the Recommendations Desk on
the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or
visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!